California Commits $100 Million to Build EV-Charging Stations

A new initiative in California will increase the infrastructure for EVs.Credit: DOE, Charles Watkins

California Governor Edmund G. Brown, Jr. joined with the California Public Utilities Commission on March 23 to announce a $100 million dollar fund for the construction of a statewide network of charging stations for electric vehicles (EVs). The plan calls for at least 200 public fast-charging stations and another 10,000 plug-in units at 1,000 locations across the state. The funds come from a $120 million settlement with NRG Energy, Inc. that stems from ten-year-old claims during the state's energy crisis. The settlement did not involve EVs.

The network of charging stations funded by the settlement will be installed in the San Francisco Bay Area, the San Joaquin Valley, the Los Angeles Basin, and San Diego County. The goal is to support cleaner air and reduce dependence on foreign oil. Governor Brown also announced that he has signed an executive order laying the foundation for 1.5 million zero-emission vehicles on California's roadways by 2025. In January, the California Air Resources Board voted to require the largest automakers to derive 15%, or about 1.4 million, of their annual California sales from EVs or other zero- or near-zero emissions vehicles by 2025. See the executive order and the governor's press release.